Chapter 1, Chapter 1: A Little Bit
"Boss, our factory hasn't paid wages for over a month, and the workers outside are starting to protest. What do you think we should do?"
With a loud bang, the office door was slammed shut in front of them.
The accountant who came to collect the debt touched the tip of his nose and cursed silently in his heart. "Poor bastard, if you don't have money to pay salaries, just say so. Who are you trying to fool with this attitude? You're almost bankrupt and still acting so arrogant."
She also seemed to think that her boss looked a little different than usual today, but that strange sense of unease seemed to pass quickly. She shook her head and soon put the unfounded suspicions behind her.
Inside the office, Fang Zhuo leaned against the wall, recalling the scene he had just witnessed.
One second he died suddenly in the luxurious office space on the top floor of a downtown building, and the next he appeared in this dilapidated old factory. The contrast was quite stark.
Sensing the host's emotional fluctuations, the system offered heartwarming comfort: "[Hi dear, let me introduce myself. I'm the Money-Sprinkling System, you can also call me Yi Dian Dian.]"
[Host, don't worry about funds. You'll get a tenfold return on any investment you make, whether it's in items or characters. Your initial capital is ten million, which you can also spend as you see fit.]
It sounds like the kind of mindless money-spending super-rich system in novels, but the description of its outrageously extravagant features is clearly incompatible with the dilapidated factory in front of us.
There's no such thing as a free lunch. Fang Zhuo carefully observed the surrounding furnishings and found nothing wrong, but then he frowned: "[I feel a bit of a stomachache]."
Yi Dian Dian felt very guilty: [Sorry, host, your initial survival time is thirteen days. This value is lower than the system's default healthy survival time of forty days, and you will be affected by the previous random disease debuff.]
[You can exchange cash for lifespan. If your lifespan continues to decrease, you will receive another serious illness buff.]
It had thought the new host would be disheartened or disappointed, but to its surprise, Fang Zhuo accepted it well and even nodded knowingly.
As expected of the chosen president selected from hundreds of millions of people, he is so knowledgeable, reasonable and understanding.
To rule out any other potential pitfalls, Fang Zhuo checked the system interface and discovered that his cash balance was not the ten million that Yi Diandian had mentioned, but a full billion.
Yi Dian Dian's voice sounded even more guilty than before: "[I'm sorry, I have an external microloan plugin installed here. Your previous host just borrowed 1 billion before passing away. According to the rules, repayment is due in twenty days, but you don't need to worry, the daily interest on this loan is only a little over 1.4 million.]"
The word "才" was used very cleverly. Fang Zhuo did a quick mental calculation and found that the annual interest rate was fifty percent, which was standard usury.
He guessed that the previous host wanted to take out a loan to try his luck before his lifespan ran out, but the system's serious illness buff was probably too powerful, and he died before he could spend the money, which resulted in this huge loan falling into his hands.
Flipping through the management manuals of the system's previous hosts reveals a truly tragic situation.
The average lifespan of the more than 20 managers before him was less than a month, which is faster than the turnover rate of South Korean presidents.
At the same time, information about the world's setting flooded his mind—
He transmigrated into a novel about the interstellar entertainment industry called "Brilliant." Here, technology was highly advanced, and productivity was sufficient to meet everyone's daily needs, which in turn led to an extremely prosperous entertainment industry.
This novel is an ensemble piece, depicting the shining stories of twenty or thirty geniuses from different fields in the entertainment industry over several decades. It features stories of ordinary people achieving success against all odds and turning their lives around after a period of hardship. It is an extremely long and exciting novel with several thousand chapters.
Logically, this kind of background should make it easy to secure investment; you could just pick a character from a small chapter and tie them to it. However, a small mistake occurred.
The first host's logbook revealed fear: [In Star Calendar 5029, I discovered that Ruan Zihan had been reborn. He stole the resources of several supporting actors and even released the works of those screenwriters and composers ahead of time, claiming that he wrote them all... What should I do? Who can I invest in now? I'm doomed...]
Fang Zhuo's gaze lingered on this message for a moment. Ruan Zihan was an important character in the book, and his unexpected rebirth completely changed the original trajectory of the story, turning the original novel into a piece of waste paper.
"Brilliant" has transformed from a collection of inspirational stories featuring a diverse cast of characters into a one-woman show featuring a single, domineering protagonist.
Ruan Zihan quickly seized the opportunities from other characters and even established his own entertainment company, transforming himself into one of the capital players in the entertainment industry.
Since then, successive managers have suffered repeated defeats. Whatever the "presidents" invest in, they lose money. Sometimes, they might pick up a minor actor who hasn't been affected by Ruan Zihan, only to have that actor's key role snatched away the next second.
Not to mention that during this period, Ruan Zihan relentlessly suppressed the characters involved in the original work. Whenever any other supporting character showed any sign of rising to prominence, he would quickly buy negative articles to smear them back.
Seeing that the path of the entertainment industry was blocked, some hosts even began to think about unorthodox methods. Some opened breakfast stalls, and some opened factories to do real business. But it can be said that the harder they tried, the more unfortunate they became. The longest they lived did not even last two months.
This dilapidated factory was clearly the product of the previous host's mismanagement.
Very good, a disastrous start.
He had nothing but money; even the initial funds given by the system couldn't cover the loan interest.
A normal person in this situation would probably close their eyes and wait to die, but Fang Zhuo simply went through the novel's plot in his mind, opened the system interface, and transferred five million from his balance to the company card.
He called the finance department: "Shut down all equipment in the factory now. Pay all employees' wages before the end of the workday this afternoon. I need to see the reports by 10 a.m. tomorrow."
The finance person checked the account balance on the terminal, stood there with wide eyes, completely unable to imagine how the boss had managed to make so much money in just twenty minutes.
And was the boss always this handsome? She has no recollection of him at all.
She forced a smile, clasped her hands together beside her face, and said, "Alright, seeing how well our factory is doing, I feel like I can work for the boss for another five hundred years!"
Watching him effortlessly transfer funds and close the factory, Yi Dian Dian couldn't help but feel a little panicked: [Host, don't do anything rash! Your panel is already the most outstanding among all previous operators. Whatever difficulties we encounter, we'll face them together. We'll definitely be able to clear this dimension.]
Fang Zhuo chuckled lightly: [Stop worrying about useless things, just lie down and relax.]
He didn't waste any time; after finishing his business with the finance department, he boarded the monorail and headed to a bungalow in a slum.
The planet he is currently on is a typical industrial planet, with over 80% of its land being industrial wasteland, extremely polluted. Living here is not much better than being a homeless person; only desperate people would choose to settle here.
Coincidentally, the person he planned to visit was quite down on his luck.
The doorbell rang, accompanied by a cacophony of clinking bottles and syringe casings.
The man inside struggled to his feet amidst the surrounding mess, swept aside the various fast food bags beside him, and before he even reached the door, he staggered weakly on the sofa.
Five years ago, Qiao Ankuang was far from being as dejected and disheartened as he is now.
At that time, he had just graduated from the First Music Academy of the Star Federation. He was an outstanding graduate with perfect grades in all subjects. All the teachers and classmates thought that he would shine brightly in the future, and even he himself thought that his future was bright.
But when he first participated in the arrangement work of a popular singer's album, something unexpected happened.
Another singer released a song with almost identical melody and rhythm on the same day and posted a timeline of the arrangement, leading to accusations of plagiarism.
At that time, he was a novice and could only apologize. But Qiao Ankuang soon discovered that several songs he wrote afterward had almost identical versions released by others on the same day.
As a result, his reputation in the industry was completely ruined.
Even when he later wrote songs during a live stream, fans from other artists mocked him for having a similar style to someone else's newly released album. Qiao Ankuang's mindset gradually shifted from doubting others to questioning himself.
Could he really be copying and imitating other people's styles unconsciously, as the audience suggests?
Does he really have musical talent? Were all his past achievements just a mix of homages?
His former friends left him one after another because of these scandals, and he could no longer find any other work in the industry because of these scandals. He spent his days in a daze and confusion.
Pushing open the door, Qiao Ankuang found that standing outside was a very handsome young man, at least 188 cm tall, wearing a well-tailored suit, his leather shoes were spotless, and he wore an antique watch that looked very valuable. He exuded an aura of nobility and extraordinary elegance.
"Hello Mr. Qiao, I'd like to ask if you are interested in signing with our agency?"
...Qiao Ankuang closed the door.
He rubbed his face, thinking he might be hallucinating due to lack of sleep recently.
When the door was opened again, the young man was still there. Qiao Ankuang was flattered and quickly invited him in, tidying up a clean space: "Please sit down, sir. What's your name?"
"My name is Fang Zhuo, and I am a director of Giant Entertainment Brokerage Company. You may not know much about our company. We have actually been operating for five years and have a very mature artist industry chain."
Fang Zhuo simply shook hands with the other party and sent the contract from his personal terminal.
“I listened to your previous release, ‘The End of the World,’ and the arrangement was very innovative. I deliberately didn’t have the company’s operations director come today. I’ve repeatedly emphasized to my employees that important talents must be seen by the board of directors in person to show sincerity.”
Qiao Ankuang was overwhelmed by the huge surprise. He rubbed his hands nervously and ran to pour two glasses of water.
"Although Giant Entertainment does not currently offer a guaranteed monthly salary, I can provide you with an exclusive 10/90 revenue split."
Fang Zhuo moved with great ease, skillfully employing the motivational rhetoric he used to deliver to his employees in his previous life.
“Teacher Qiao, I knew from the first time I met you that you were different from those impetuous young people today. We have both been through storms and criticisms, and I understand your difficulties.”
"On behalf of the company, I assure you that Giant Entertainment will provide you with the best platform and opportunities. As long as you are willing to work hard and strive for progress, you will definitely achieve the great results you desire."
"I have high hopes for your future development, and I believe you won't let me down, right?"
Qiao Ankuang nodded repeatedly in deep agreement, completely overwhelmed by the other party's sincere words. He never expected that such an important figure as President Fang would think so highly of him and would even come to meet him in person with such sincerity.
He quickly skimmed through the contract and, as the other party had said, the profit-sharing ratio was very attractive. The contract was also the five-year term commonly agreed upon in the industry, and the terms were simple with no apparent pitfalls.
Noticing Mr. Fang's gaze, he was about to grit his teeth and sign the contract on the spot when the other party grabbed his hand: "It's okay, Teacher Qiao can think about it for a while longer. There's no need to sign it now."
Qiao Ankuang was completely captivated by the other party's thoughtfulness and manners, and was too excited to speak.
"You can think about the contract for a while longer. The management team plans to release a new song of yours in three days to turn the tide of public opinion. There is only one requirement for the style of this song: it must be groundbreaking, it must be different from your previous works, and it must be catchy and easy to spread."
Realizing this was the boss's first test for him, Qiao Ankuang hurriedly bowed and agreed, despite the tight schedule.
Qiao Ankuang considered himself a very pragmatic person. He considered the request in his mind and said with a fawning smile, "President Fang, then we can put your name in the song title, and we can also use your picture as the cover when we upload it to the platform."
Fang Zhuo gave a meaningful smile: "How could I possibly accept that?"
Less than half an hour after leaving Qiao Ankuang's house, Fang Zhuo received a notification on the system interface that the other party had successfully signed a contract, which also meant that he had successfully invested in his first person.
Not only Qiao Ankuang was fooled by the fabricated lie he made up, but also the humble Yi Diandian, who cautiously raised its hand and asked: [Host, I'm just curious, did you earn all your money through legitimate means in your previous life?]
Fang Zhuo was in a good mood and teased Yi Diandian: "[Of course not. I've been involved in fraud and pyramid schemes before, and I even served two years in prison. Is there a problem with that?]"
Yi Dian Dian fell silent.
Fang Zhuo: [Just kidding]
Yi Dian Dian then blurted out, "[You scared me to death! I thought you were really a criminal... Wait, host, what are you doing at the Interstellar Bank?]"
Fang Zhuo walked to the counter and sat down casually: "Loan."
A note from the author:
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Please add my pre-order novel, "Playing a Popular Supporting Character with a Saintly Filter," to your favorites!
Before his sudden death, Fu Zhao transmigrated into a cannon fodder extra in a post-apocalyptic novel. His initial popularity and stamina were both zero, and he could only survive if his popularity increased.
The system is very understanding: [I have applied for a life-saving buff for the host. As long as you take the hits for the main characters, you can accumulate rage points to unlock skills.]
Not only can you take the opportunity to make your presence known, but you can also exchange for items that improve your initial physique by using your skills multiple times!
Fu Zhao: [Understood. Take the damage to unleash your ultimate move. It's tough first, but sweet later. I will take the worst beating for Long Aotian.]
But what the system didn't tell him was that he appeared with a saintly filter, and everything he did was bathed in a gentle holy light.
Fu Zhao starts by looting equipment from dead bodies.
A passerby said: "He was so gentle. He not only helped the deceased traveler tidy up his appearance, but also recited a eulogy with a sorrowful expression."
During the fight, Fu Zhao pushed away his teammate who was hindering his rage accumulation.
Passerby: He's so kind. He'd rather let the mutated plant inflict all the damage on him alone, even if he's covered in blood, he still wants to protect his comrades behind him.
Thus, in the apocalyptic world of resource scarcity and factional infighting, legends of saints soon emerged.
He would shield young explorers from fatal wounds who had strayed into perilous situations, and after slaying the mutated plants, he would give them the crystal cores without taking a single penny in return.
He was powerful and mysterious, comforting every passerby with the gentlest words, while always gazing into the distance with a furrowed brow, quietly bearing all the harm, as if loving the world was merely an instinct for him.
Xiao T said that in the comments section, countless readers felt sorry for him and shed tears for him, begging the author not to take down the handsome, strong, and tragic father.
In the real world, Fu Zhao's roommate opened a new page of the novel and couldn't help but sob on the spot: "He is so compassionate. He even cares for the enemy who betrayed him. The villain was almost moved to kneel down on the spot."
Fu Zhao: ? ? ? Wait, didn't he just threaten the villain yesterday that 'you're so bad you might as well go home'?
On his phone screen, he saw himself affectionately patting the villain's hair, his smile devoid of any anger at being betrayed, only filled with endless pity and sorrow: "Go home, child, go home."
After he left, a heavy rain fell from the sky. The villain's tears mingled with the rain as he thought of his mother waiting for him at home. He wept bitterly in the rain, filled with remorse.
Fu Zhao: ...? ? ? Who is this saint? Is this still me?
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